A theoretical framework can offer an important means for understanding and delineating the complex issues of copyright law and its ramifications facing researchers and academic libraries. This study draws lessons from the literature on how copyright theories can inform practice in libraries. It describes strengths and weaknesses in each of the…

Who has not heard of the federal copyright law and been confused by the many interpretations of what a correctional educator can and cannot copy and distribute in the classroom? The author reviews the basic copyright law that includes examples and a summary of "fair use" principles applicable to correctional educators. The author also…

The Fair Use exemption to copyright infringement is a difficult concept for those within the legal community because of its unique "case-by-case" application. Without any red line rules, providing guidance to typical users is even more challenging. This paper reviews several recent cases regarding the application of Fair Use and how the…

Duane Webster's leadership in the area of copyright policy demonstrates three characteristics: perseverance, pragmatism, and partnership. These characteristics are visible in the foundation and operation of the Library Copyright Alliance (LCA). LCA's successful campaign to defeat a legislative initiative in the 110th Congress to increase copyright…

This book contains valid, real-world copyright questions posed by real-life educators--all answered by a knowledgeable and experienced school attorney. Poor economic conditions have driven publishers to be more aggressive with pursuing improper use of their copyrighted materials. At the same time, new technologies are complicating old copyright…

Foreign students often have different conceptions of copyright than do American students. This article summarizes Thailand's Copyright Act B.E. 2537 (1994). Also included are guidelines for fair use from a Thai university, as well as a literature review discussing copyright issues in Taiwan and Japan.

Since they were enacted in 1998, the "anti-circumvention" provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA"), codified in section 1201 of the Copyright Act, have not been used as Congress envisioned. Congress meant to stop copyright infringers from defeating anti-piracy protections added to copyrighted works and to ban…

University administrators who have distance learning programs under their charge are on the horns of a dilemma. Given the growing litigiousness of copyright holders and the unsettled state of the law, it has become very difficult to establish failsafe administrative rules to guide faculty and student use of copyrighted materials. But the use of…

Copyright in the world of digital information is changing at a fevered pace, even as educators and librarians digitize, upload, download, draw on databases, and incorporate materials into Web-based instruction. It's essential to stay abreast of the basics of copyright law and fair use. Kenneth D. Crews has completely revised his classic text to…

Copyright laws are of great significance to teachers. The resources that they use in the classroom are an important element of the learning environment. The rapid adoption of digital formats for resources opens up many educational possibilities. On the other hand, the lack of access to these resources will increasingly challenge the relevance of…

Copyright law is a source of a great deal of bewilderment and frustration to academic librarians. Beyond the basics of copyright protection and fair use, most librarians struggle to grasp the complexity of the law and the roadblocks it presents to access and use. This article attempts to elucidate some of those complexities by suggesting seven…

Digital piracy is a problem that may never disappear from society. Through readily available resources such as those found in a university, students will always have access to illegal goods. While piracy is a global phenomenon, an institution's resources combined with the typical college student's lack of funds makes it more lucrative. Students…

Selective archiving of Web sites in Australia has been under way since 1996. This approach has seen carefully selected sites preserved after site owners granted permission. The labor-intensive nature of this process means only a small number of sites can ever be acquired in this manner. An alternate approach is an automated…

Much of higher education's unease arises from the cost of dealing with illegal file sharing. Illinois State University, for example, calculated a cost of $76 to process a first claim of copyright infringement and $146 for a second. Responses range from simply passing along claims to elaborate programs architected with specific goals in mind.…

Patents, trade secrets, copyrights and the like are all forms of "intellectual property," though the rules governing each are quite distinct. Patents and trade secrets apply to functional works that are new and innovative. Copyrights, on the other hand, apply to pictorial, textual and sculptural works--works that may not be functional at all. In…